Muggle Studies

To-ing and Fro-ing

Getting to know each other...

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It became a regular thing after that. A month later, Casavergine was already back and teaching, but still she would come straight to Snape's dungeon after dinner almost every night; sometimes, they would even come down together, talking.

Now her lab coat hung from a cloak holder on the wall next to where he sometimes hung his cape and her goggles had a special space for them on one of the shelves nearby, next to her glove box.

Even when there was nothing for her to do, she'd come along bringing the papers she had to mark or a book she wanted to read and they would hang or just talk.

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It was so easy being around her, talking to her, brewing with her. Her company was as arousing as it was soothing.

He loved walking into his lab to find her lab coat hanging near the door; it was welcoming to catch a whiff of her as he entered. He also enjoyed watching her - whatever she was doing. Her fingers over the pages of the book she was reading, her hands as she measured amounts of ingredients for potions... her hips as she danced around (he didn't care what she said, that was dancing), her neck. The way she pouted a little and frowned slightly when she was concentrating, the look that she'd get in her eyes when she was trying to find a solution to a problem and then the look she got when she found it.

He now listened to music while brewing even when she wasn't there. In fact, especially when she wasn't there; it reminded him of her, of the comfort of her presence, of the fact that she apparently liked to be in his presence. And that made him... yes, happy.

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"I hear you have found yourself an assistant." Minerva was back on the subject, again watching his reaction over her cup of tea.

He was prepared for it this time, though; ever since he first invited Adams into his dungeon he knew she'd be over it like a hawk.

"Yes. Adams was really helpful while Casavergine was in the hospital and now I've grown rather used to her support." Not a lie... just an omission of the fact that Adams didn't always go down there with him to work. But that was none of the Headmistress's business.

"I told you she was an accomplished potioneer. Perhaps she might even substitute for you with the younger ones in case there's need." She said, carefully.

There was something she was getting at, that crone. He decided to let it unfold.

"Indeed." He said quietly, into his mug, as if it were indifferent to him. It did make sense, after all. As a teacher, he hardly brewed himself. Mostly, he would just talk about the ingredients and techniques to be used, then write down instructions and supervise. He rarely ever had to use his wand during classes (except for major Neville-Longbottom-like disasters) and even then she could get assistance from a colleague or even a student.

"Maybe I should have a talk to her about that; I mean, if this is a professional arrangement between you two, she should be getting paid." McGonagall said, nonchalantly.

There it was. She wanted to know the nature of his relationship with Adams. And was threatening to go straight to Adams with that inquiry.

Snape cringed at the thought of Nayme Adams and Minerva McGonagall drinking tea together in this very room and talking about... him. Under the portrait of Dumbledore, no less, who he was quite sure was intently listening in on this conversation while pretending to be asleep.